Henry a



I (No Model.)

H, A. SEVIGNE. THILL COUPLING.

PatentedAug'. 16,1892.

NTED STATES PATENT Enron.

HENRY A. SEVIGNE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE SEVIGNEMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 481,064, dated August16, 1892.

Application filed February 23, 1892. Serial N0.4=22,35'7. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY A. SEVIGNE, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Thill-Couplings, of which the following is aspecification.

It is the object of my invention to provide such improvements inthill-couplings as will effectively prevent rattling, permit of theready removal and attachment of the thill, and provide for theadjustment of the tension 'on the means which press and hold thethilleye in continual contact with the clip bolt or pm.

My invention consists in providing the coupling or clip bolt with arms,one of which is constructed and arranged to bear upon the thill and theotheris adapted to be connected with an adjustable spring, so as thatthe thill eye or loop may always be forced down or forward into contactwith the bolt to prevent rattling, and the tension or stress of thespring may be adjusted to suit circumstances, all as will more fully andclearly appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the annexed drawings, and to the lettersmarked thereon, forming a part of this specification, the same lettersdesignating the same parts or features, as the case may be, whereverthey occur.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of myinvention. Fig. 2is a view of one side of the same. Fig. 3 is a view of the op positeside. Fig. 4: is a bottom plan view. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of theclip or coupling bolt with its attached arms.

In the drawings, a designates the fore axle.

b is the clip encircling the axle and provided with the ears'or lugs 0,through which holes are formed for the reception of the coupling-bolt d.

e is the thill having the thill-iron f secured thereto in the usual way,the thill-iron being provided with the eye or loop 9, adapted to bearranged between the ears or lugs c and to have the bolt d passedtherethrough.

The parts thus far described may be formed and arranged, as shown, orhave any other suitable or known shape or arrangement.

The coupling-bolt cl is provided with two arms h 'i, as is most clearlyshown in Fig. 5. The arm it extends upward and inward, so as that itsend may rest upon the thill. The other armt' extends down andhas one endof a spring j connected therewith. The other end of the said spring isadapted to be connected with an adjustable plate It, connected with theclip b. The object of the plate 70 is to provide means for adjusting thestress or tension of the spring j. The said plate may be variouslyconstructed and arranged to enable it to perform its specifiedfunctions. As herein shown, it has the form of a segment of a circle andis provided with holes Z at short intervals throughout its length,through one of which holes one of the screw threaded shanks m of theclip may pass, so that the plate may be held in position between the nutn on the shank m and the clip cross-bar o. By adjusting the plate 70 invarious positions the springj may be caused to act with greater or lesstension, as will be readily understood without further description. Thebolt (1 may be maintained in place in any desired Way. As represented inthe drawings, heads 19 are formed on the ends of the bolt, and a stripof leather or rawhide q (shown only in dotted lines) is slitted at itsends and forced over the heads 10 upon the necks 1", which meansprevents the accidental displacement of the bolt. It will be seen thatthe pressure of the arm h upon the end of the thill will keep the eye ofthe thill-iron pressed forward or downward upon the coupling pin or rodand prevent any rattling of the parts, and that the tension of thespring can readily be adjusted to suit varying circumstances.Furthermore, it will be seen that the coupling-pins can readily beremoved and the thill taken out or replaced without the use ofthill-jacks and without inconvenience occasioned by the presence ofmy-improvements.

It is obvious that changes may be made in the form and arrangement ofparts comprising my invention without departing from the nature orspirit thereof.

Having thus explained the nature of mv invention and described a way ofmaking and using the same, though without attempting to set forth all ofits forms of construction or all of the modes of its employment, Ideclare that what I claim is- 1. A thill-coupling comprising in itsconspring connected at one end to the last-mentioned arm, and at theother end to the said plate, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 1st day of February, A. D.1892.

HENRY A. SEVIGNE.

Vitnesses:

ARTHUR W. CROSSLEY, A. D. HARRISON.

